Safe and hygienic sole

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses a safer sole against slippage while worn wet, and one which is pleasant to wear, practical to use, and economical to manufacture. The invention discloses a footwear sole through an innovative means of allowing water to clear from a foot, and under a footwear. It is also the purpose of this invention to provide for an aerating sole via open through and through channels for improving foot hygiene while maintaining the safety of a foot from being poked or pricked if stepping on pointy objects.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/130,859, filed Dec. 28, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a sole for footwear, in particular footwear for use as sandals or slippers, but not excluding other footwear where there is a need to evacuate water, for example after swimming, after taking a shower or getting wet. The disclosed sole of the present invention further provides safe and secure wearing as well as aeration of the foot for a better hygienic wear.

A number of prior art address this subject for the purposes of ventilating a foot, preventing water from seeping through a sole (generally from the bottom or outside into the footwear) or for generally simply draining water by simple gravity.

In the prior art, for example, WO 2005/063069 describes a waterproof breathable sole for shoes which comprises at least two structural layers, a lower one provided with a supporting structure so as to form the tread, and an upper one that is permeable to water vapor.

WO 2006/010578 discloses a waterproof and breathable sole for shoes, which has a structure that comprises a lower layer, which has at least one large through hole, a mesh arranged substantially so as to overlap at least the large through hole and a membrane made of a material that is impermeable to water and permeable to water vapor.

Both WO 2005/063069 and WO 2006/010578 disclose soles which are impermeable to water, essentially water stepped into, such a water puddle, but do not provision for any method of evacuating water which may come from the top part of the sole. This is true even if the sole were used on such a footwear as slippers or sandals.

WO 1997/028711 is another example of a breathable sole, disclosing a breathing sole for footwear in which the sole is a two-layer structure containing an elastic, water-vapor-permeable inner layer and an outer layer covering less than 70% of the inner layer. As is the case for the preceding cited prior art, this sole was invented for addressing the problem of moisture build-up in a shoe, which has proven to be significant.

While there have been many developments in recent years for the production of a waterproof but water vapor permeable shoe, there has not been any development in the area of actually developing water eliminating soles, other than using netted or meshed soles which, as stated above, permit water to drip through the sole using gravity as the sole force for evacuating excess water.

One of the earliest, if not the first, prior art to address this subject is U.S. Pat. No. 2,185,762. It discloses a bathing sandal to effectively prevent slipping and falling during a shower bath and to allow the foot to which it is applied to be washed with substantially the same ease as when the foot is in a naked state. '762 specifically discloses the bottom or under surface of the sole is suitably sealed. '762 does not address the problem of actively evacuating excess water out of the sole through direct means, nor does it address the squeaky suction noise generated when walking.

EP0986968 describes a plastic molded shoe bottom, of the type provided with an insole on the upper part and a network of channels on the upper side, preferably in the proximity of the external edge of the bottom, leading up to ducts with vertical axis affecting the whole thickness of the bottom; it being provided that the insole features a series of through holes with vertical axis, preferably aligned with the channels below. The water evacuation in this invention relies solely on gravity and forcing water out by pressure exerted by the foot by each step taken.

Yet another prior art addressing such a subject matter is EP1382268. It discloses a swimming pool sandal which has a rod and a sole provided with projections intended to be in contact with the foot of the user and which has a peripheral rim. The upper face of the portion of the sole in which the projections are located is sloping and the peripheral flange has at least one opening for the evacuation of the water flowing along said slope.

In fact, no prior art clearly addresses the need of safely and securely walking with a footwear while completely wet, such as after swimming or coming out of a shower, by actively evacuating water from the wearer's foot in a simple yet innovative means. All currently existing such footwear rely on gravity and evaporation using intricate or complex evacuation channels, which until completely dry, places the person wearing such footwear at risk of slipping as well as the uncomfortable element of making squeaky suction noises with each step.

The sole of the present invention addresses both the active water evacuation through direct channels for safely walking even in the wettest condition as well as eliminating the loud squeaky suction noise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The innovative aspect of the current invention aims to provide for a solution which is both convenient and environmentally friendly.

There is no questioning that to achieve water evacuation, vapor clearance and aeration of a foot, it is necessary to have an opening which connects the inner side of a footwear, and in particular the part which comes in touch with the sole of the foot of the wearer with the outside environment.

How to achieve this goal economically and conveniently yet by providing a solution which meets all of the following criteria: safety, environmentally friendly, simple manufacturing, hygiene.

While simple, it is not obvious for a person skilled in the art to arrive at this conclusion. The current invention discloses a means of connecting the top layer of a sole, i.e. the layer which is in contact with the sole of the foot, with the bottom layer of said sole, i.e. the layer which is in contact with the ground, through direct open channels, slanted at an angle as defined herein below.

The direct open channels provide for a very simple, economical and easy means of manufacturing such a sole, without the need to use complicated molds or processes to create a network of channels within the thickness of one or a plurality of soles.

The direct open channels also will result in void spaces which, in the overall making of said sole will result in the use of less material thus consuming less raw material and generating less waste at the end of the life of said sole.

Both of the above criteria result in a much more environmentally friendly product.

The direct slanted channels further provide for active and passive evacuation of water accumulating around the foot and between the foot and said sole. Lastly, the direct channels provide for a direct and constant vapor clearance to ensure a hygienic wear devoid of the humidity which is known to cause foot fungus and other foot conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents a top view of a sole of the disclosed invention clearly showing the openings of the upper side of the channels through which water is evacuated and aeration is exchanged.

FIG. 2 represents the bottom of a sole of the disclosed invention clearly showing the openings of the lower side of the channels through which the water evacuates away from the foot and aeration is enabled. The figure also represents ridges on the bottom of the sole to assist water evacuation towards the perimeter of the sole and away from the bottom of the footwear.

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal cross section of the sole with the embodiment of the open channels angled and in a conical shape.

FIG. 4 shows another longitudinal cross-section of the sole with the embodiment of an additional layer, in this case on top of the sole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a sole (100) with a plurality of openings (104) on the upper side (101) of said sole, a plurality of corresponding openings (204) on the bottom side (202) of said sole, and wherein said upper openings (104) form direct open channels (308) with said lower openings (204), wherein said open channels (308) travel through the thickness of said sole (103).

In a preferred embodiment, the said open channels (308) traverse the sole at an angle which is optimized to safeguard the foot of the wearer from material on the ground which may prick the bottom of the foot. In said embodiment, the open channels may traverse the sole at any angle, just as long as the said channel is not perpendicular to the ground and offers the required protection against lengthy objects penetrating across the plurality of layers forming said sole.

In a further embodiment, the said angled open channel is provided for in a conical open shape to ensure that water evacuation is preferentially made in one direction. The conical shape disclosed in FIG. 3 (308) is designed to allow water drainage in one direction, downwards, and hinders or prevents water from going back up to the top of the sole (301).

In yet a preferred embodiment, the said angled traversing open channels (308) have an opening on the top part of the sole (305) and a corresponding opening (306) on the bottom part of the sole, wherein the two openings are connected yet are displaced from each other in such a manner wherein there is not a direct vertical opening between them as shown in FIG. 3. The two openings are connected but not in planar parallel alignment to each other and there is no straight vertical line of sight between them.

In a preferred embodiment, the direction of the open channels, from top to bottom, is angled inwards for those channels towards the front part of the sole (303). In a similar manner, the direction of the open channels, from top to bottom, is angled inwards for those channels towards the back part of the sole (304). With these embodiments, it is submitted that with lifting of the foot in a normal walking movement, these preferred angles further ensure the increase of water drainage and prevents water from traveling back up said channels.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bottom of the sole comprises ridges (205), wherein said ridges (205) traverse the openings of the lower part of the channels (204) on the bottom of the sole (202). The ridges (205) act as further evacuation channels for driving the evacuated water towards the outer perimeter of the bottom of the sole (202).

In a general embodiment, the number and size of said upper openings (104) and the number and size of said corresponding lower openings (204) may vary as function of the size and use of the sole. In addition, the number of direct channels (308) is determined and only limited by the size and intended use of the sole in order to provide the required function and protection and is equivalent to the number and size of said upper openings (104) and said lower openings (204). Furthermore, the number of ridges (205) on the bottom of the sole is also provided for in relation to the number and in alignment with the number of openings on the bottom of the sole. The size, shape or volume of the channels may also be variable depending on the size of the sole and its use in the type of footwear.

In a preferred embodiment, whereas the openings (104) on the top of the sole (101) are preferably circular in shape but are not limited to being circular except for the purposes of ease of manufacturing, the openings (204) on the bottom of the sole (202) preferably have a non-circular shape. It is submitted herein, and for the purposes of explanation, a teardrop shape is adopted as shown in FIG. 2 (204). The innovation behind this shape resides in the smaller opening pointing towards the back of the sole. It is submitted herein that for the peeling effect of the sole during walking, such a shape prevents the slipping and suction effect experienced in the absence of this backwards pointing shape.

As a further explanation, and again using the said teardrop shape merely for the purposes of illustration, the said teardrop design opening at the bottom surface is made to counteract the pealing forces with a wet ground (tile surface or other) by reducing first point peal surface from back to front, thus eliminating the suction induced by the “suction cup” effect of a cup-like opening on a humid surface. In addition, such a shape will also act on noise reduction made from possible suction points on wet surfaces when lifting a foot.

In a further embodiment, the sole may be divided into a plurality of layers instead of the thickness being one uniform layer. For the purposes of a clearer explanation, an example of a 2-layered sole will be further defined as per FIG. 4. In this particular embodiment, and for illustrative purposes only, an additional layer (403) rests on top of the sole. The said additional layer (403) may be composed of a mesh-like material of different material including but not limited to material which may enhance comfort, drainage, hygiene and further prevent backflow of water from bottom to top, as explained in preceding paragraphs as the objective of the herein innovative sole.

In a further embodiment, there may be one or more protection valve(s) or protrusion(s) angled downwards towards the ground within the direct open channels (not represented). In such a manner, the flow of water is preferentially enhanced to be uni-directional, and to be more precise, from the top of the sole towards the bottom of the sole. The evacuated water or water found on the ground is preferentially obstructed or prevented from being sucked or absorbed back up through the channels and towards the upper part of the sole.

This solution ensures correct permeation as well as an effective exchange of water and/or water vapor between the environment on the upper part of the sole or inside of the footwear (inner environment) and the outside environment, at the same time ensuring the necessary impermeability with respect to external moisture and water.

Furthermore, this solution ensures less water accumulation between said sole and the sole of the foot, regardless of sole material and design, which implies less foot slippage and more protection.

The described embodiments also provide for faster water drainage, faster water evaporation through the improved aeration effect, dryer foot soles, more comfortable wear, and improved foot hygiene. With regards to the hygiene component, it is well known for a person skilled in the art that foot aeration minimizes sweat accumulation between footwear sole and foot sole, when walking or when the foot is lifted from the ground. Less sweaty feet imply less chance of slipping, improved hygiene and more comfortable and pleasant wear.

In a test example, and for illustration purposes only, one of a pair of flip-flops underwent preparation of creating channels throughout its surface as described herein above in the various embodiments and through the sole. For ease of demonstration, the channels were circular in shape. The channels were perforated from top to bottom with diameters of between 3 to 6 mm. The channels were punched at an angle wherein said angle directs the channels as described above. The other flip-flop of the said pair was kept as is. The flip-flops were worn by a person. The person went under a shower to soak himself and immediately upon shutting off the water, went for a walk in a locker room.

The observations were as follows: after taking only a few steps, the foot which had the innovative sole had remarkably less water lodged between the foot and the flip-flop thus the foot was not slipping in or on the flip-flop. In contrast, the other foot with the unmodified flip-flop on was amassing water under the sole of the feet which caused the foot to slip. The flip-flop of the invention clearly successfully did its function of evacuating the water rapidly and making walking safer.

In addition, it was also noticed that the innovative sole was more pleasant to wear and walk around with, and more practical to use. The foot with the innovative sole is dryer and requires less wiping with a towel if any.

After taking a number of additional steps, the foot with the innovative flip-flop was almost dry whereas the other foot with the unmodified flip-flop was still very wet.

On another occasion, the experiment was repeated on a humid hot summer day walking outside. After a number of steps, the bottom of the foot with the traditional flip-flop started to sweat and slip on the flip-flop. The other foot, with the innovative sole, was aerated by the channels and did not sweat.

In conclusion from the test performed herein, the innovative sole evacuated water efficiently and rapidly, provided for a safer walking experience, caused less sweating which provides for a more hygienic environment for the foot.

The embodiments described herein while defined for a clearer understanding to slippers or sandals, may very well be applicable to all types of footwear and activities. The open direct channel “sole unit” can be custom-designed and applied to any footwear sole to provide for direct aeration while maintaining protection. This added aeration provides for enhanced footwear comfort and hygiene. 

1. A sole for use in footwear, characterized in that said sole has a plurality of layers traversed by a plurality of channels, comprising: a top layer comprising openings, a bottom layer comprising corresponding openings to said openings of said top layer, open channels traversing said top and bottom layers wherein said channels connect said openings of said top layer with the corresponding said openings of said bottom layer; wherein said channels are angled so that the openings at either ends of said channels are connected at an angle which prevents solid materials from penetrating through said channel.
 2. The sole according to claim 1, wherein: said openings on the top layer may be of any size, shape and form, said corresponding openings on the bottom layer may be any size, shape and form, said open channels provide for a direct open communication between the said upper and lower openings, wherein said channels may be of any size, shape and form.
 3. The sole according to claim 1, wherein the channels located on the back of the sole, are preferably angled forward, towards the middle of sole.
 4. The sole according to claim 1, wherein the channels located on the front of the sole are preferably angled backwards, towards the middle of the sole.
 5. The sole according to claim 1, wherein the channels located in the middle of the sole are preferably angled sideways and crisscross.
 6. The sole according to claim 1, comprising an additional layer, wherein said additional layer may be added on the bottom, in the middle or on top of said sole.
 7. The sole according to claim 6, wherein said additional layer consists of a mesh-like structure.
 8. The sole according to claim 1, wherein said bottom sole further comprises ridges.
 9. The sole according to claim 8, wherein said ridges traverse said corresponding openings on said bottom of said sole.
 10. A sole according to claim 1 for use in: evacuating accumulated or draining water on a foot or footwear, aerating a foot wearing said sole, providing protection from slipping. 